Knockdown wardrobes



Feb. 7, 1961 s. DERMAN KNOCKDOWN WARDROBES Filed April 8, 1959 INVENTOR. 5AM DER/"IAN viii H TTORNE Y KNOCKDDWN WARDRGBES Sam Del-man, 150 Glenview Road, South Orange, NJ.

Filed Apr. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 884,942

Claims. (Cl. 312-262) This invention relates to what I term knockdown wardrobes made from hard or rigid board material through outrand, wherein, the doors and panels are fashioned from Masonite, fiberboard or the like, having a surface coating of any suitable plastic material. More particularly, the invention deals with a device of the character described, wherein the knockdown parts of the wardrobe comprise a back and side wall hinged assemblage, top and bottom wall parts, a front panel part, including a cross-rail portion, a pair of doors, a shelf and a hanger rod.

Still more particularly, the invention deals with a knockdown wardrobe of the character described, wherein the entire assemblage is accomplished through the medium of a few screws coupling the front posts of the sides of the cabinet with the cross-rail and the front rails of the top and bottom wall parts.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. l is a side front on a very much reduced scale of an assembled wardrobe made according to my invention, with parts of the construction broken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the front and rear portions of one side of the wardrobe on an enlarged scale, with parts of the construction broken away and in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, again showing the front and rear portions only of the wardrobe and with parts of the construction broken away and illustrating part of the background showing.

Fig. 4 is a broken section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 on a scale smaller than the scale shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and illustrating upper, lower and intermediate portions of the front of the wardrobe, parts of the construction being broken away; and

United States Patent Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing front, rear and intermediate portions of the wardrobe to illustrate the shelf and hanger rod construction and omitting the section through one of the doors.

Considering Fig. l of the drawing, it will appear that the wardrobe is composed of a back wall part 10, similar side wall pants 11, a top wall part 12, a bottom wall part 13, a front panel 14, including, at its upper edge, a crossrail portion 15 preferably prefixed to the panel 14 and two sliding doors in and 17.

Aiso arranged within the cabinet is a shelf part 18 and a garment hanger rail part 19. The foregoing describes the parts of the cabinet, all of which are knockdown one with respect to the other, with the exception that the side wall parts Lil are permanently hinged to the back wall part it) and, in packaging and shipment, are foldable upon the front face of the back wall part. This latter construction is made possible through the provision of side posts 20 on the back wall part arranged adjacent the rear post 21 on the side wall parts, with three verice tically spaced hinges 22 secured to front surfaces of the posts 20, 21 to accomplish the collapsing of the side wall parts onto the back wall part, as previously stated.

in Fig. l of the drawing, one of the upper hinges and an intermediate hinge only is shown, it being understood that another hinge is disposed at' the lower portion of each of the posts 2t], 21. A further duplication in the showing of the hinges is not deemed to be necessary.

The back wall part it also includes upper and lower rails, the upper rail only being shown at 23 in Fig. 2 of the drawing; thus the back wall part will comprise a rectangular frame bordered by the post 20 and upper and lower rails 23. These rails 23 have, on their front surfaces, grooves 24 to receive the panel portions 25 and 26 of the top and bottom wall parts, note, in this connection, the sectional showing of the panels in Fig. 4 of the These wall backs, like the back wall part, also include' upper and lower rails 28 and 29, grooved, as seen at 30 and 31, note Fig. 4 to receive the panels 25 and 26.

The side walls it have, at their forward edges, posts 32 which, in conjunction with the post 21 and the rails 28 and 29, form rectangular frames, upon which the panels 33 of the side wall parts are secured. While the panels 33 actually extend to the forward edges of the cabinet, in the illustration in Fig. 2 of the drawing, these edges are not shown, particularly from the standpoint that, in the finished product, the coatings upon the panels and rails are such as to render these edges invisible, so that the proper illustration of the wardrobe is as diagrammatically illustrated in the full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing, no attempt being made to illustrate the plastic or other facings or coatings which are applied to the panels and parts of the cabinet in any of the illustrations in the accompanying drawing.

It will be noted, from a consideration of Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, that the upper and lower ends of the posts 32 are cut out, as seen at 34, to receive front rails 35, 36 of the top and bottom wall parts, so that outer surfaces of these rails will be flush with outer surfaces of the posts 32. The posts 32 are also recessed on inner surfaces thereof adjacent the lower end of the posts, as seen at 34-, to receive the cross-rail 15 of the panel 14.

Pairs of screws 38 are passed through the posts and into the rails 35, 15 and 36 in securing the top and bottom wall parts l2, l3 and the panel 14 in position in the body portion of the cabinet.

Considering Fig. 4 of the drawing, it will appear that the rail 35 is recessedon its rear surface, as seen at 35, to receive the forward edge of the top panel 25, the latter being secured to the rail 35 in any desired manner. Upon the rear surface of the rail 35 is a supplemental inner rail 39 and this rail has, on its lower surface, a groove 40 and a corresponding groove 41 being on the lower surface of the rail 35. Both of the grooves 4t 41 are sufficiently deep to allow the doors 16, 17 to move upwardly a sufiicient degree to engage the lower edges of the door with corresponding but shallower grooves 40', 41, on upper surfaces of a supplemental inner rail 15' and the rail 15, it being understood that both supplemental rails 39 and 15' are pre-fixed in any desired manner to inner surfaces of the rails 15 and 35, respectively.

Suitably secured to the inner surface of the panel 14 and to the rail 15 is a rectangular frame 42, the upper '17 are widely spaced.

and lower rails of which are indicated in cross-section at 43 and 44 in Fig. 4 of the drawing. Pivotally supported on the lower rails 44, adjacent side portions of the cabinet, are retaining clips, one of which is seen at 45 in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing, the clips being pivotally mounted on the rail 44, as by screws 46. Normally, the clips lie in the plane of the rail 44 in the operation of assembling the panel 14 and, after the panel has been mounted upon the bottom rail 36, the clips are then swung downwardly into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to engage the rear surface of the rail 36, thus preventing the lower portion of the panel from outward movement on the rail 35.

The front and rear corner portions of the cabinet have downwardly projecting feet and the feet at the front of the cabinet only are shown at 47. The feet will constitute an -integral part of the bottom wall part 13.

Inner surfaces of the side posts 32 are of the irregular cross-sectional contour shown in section in Pig. 3 of the drawing, so as to form a front protruding flange portion 48 adapted to overlie the edge portion of the door 17, as indicated, in part, in Fig. 3, and a rear recessed portion 49 in alinement with the grooves 4d, 4%, as clearly noted in Figs. 3 and 4, to allow the door 16 to have a greater travel in the cabinet for support of the side edge of the door 16 when in its closed position. It will appear, from a consideration of Figs. 3 and 4, that the door panels 16, However, suitable means, not shown, will be provided on adjacent surfaces of the doors to substantially seal the cabinet when the doors are in the closed position, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. Front surfaces of the doors have, substantially centrally thereof, recessed fingerpiece portions, as at St) in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

Secured to the back wall part between the posts 20 is va shelf supporting strip 51, shown in cross-section in Fig.

5, which supports the inner edge portion of the shelf panel 52, the panel having, at its forward edge, a finishing strip 53 secured thereto, which is normally positioned in spaced relationship to the inner door 16 of the cabinet. Fixed to the lower surface of the inner end of the panel 52 is a strip 52 which seats in a recess 51' in the supporting strip 51 to check outward movement of the shelf. The shelf is also supported on hanger rod supporting blocks 54 secured to inner surfaces of the panels 33 of the side wall parts intermediate forward and rear edges of said panel, the blocks having recesses 55 opening through their upper surfaces to facilitate assemblage of a hanger rod 56 with the blocks and so as to support the rod in spaced relation to the lower surface of the shelf, in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. of the drawing.

It will appear, from a consideration of Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing, that the panel 14 overlies forward surfaces of the post 32 and also overlies the forward surface of the lower rail 36, thus producing the neat and finished appearance, as clearly noted in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

In assemblage of the cabinet, the back wall part is laid upon a floor or other surface and the side wall parts are moved into perpendicular position with respect to the back wall part; whereupon, the panels 25, as of the top and bottom wall parts are moved backwardly through the grooves 30, 31 of the rails 28 and 29 until the rear edges of the panels pass into the grooves 24 of the top and bottom rails 23 of the back wall part. T1 e pairs of screws 38 can then be placed in position to secure the front rails 35 and 3d of the top and bottom wall parts in position upon the posts 32 of tne side wall parts.

The panel unit 14, 15 with the clips arranged horizont lly along the bottom rails 44; is then mounted in position upon the rail 56; the clios then are moved downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing to retain the panel in snug engagement with the rail 36 and post 32; whereupon, the other pairs of screws. 38 are passed through the post 32 and into the ends of the rail 15. The shelf part is then placed in position in the cabinet and arranged about the strip 52 and the blocks '54, after which, the hanger rod 56 is placed in position in the recesses 55 and the shelf is then lowered into its operative position, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The doors 16 and 17 are now placed in position by simply moving the up or edges of the doors upwardly in the grooves 40, 2-1 sufficiently to clear the lower edges of the doors with the rails 15, 15; whereupon, the lower edges of the doors can be dropped into the grooves 40', 41" and they are now in position for sliding back and forth at the front of the cabinet.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A knockdown wardrobe, comprising a back and side wall assemblage, top and bottom walls, front panel and a pair of doors, the back and side walls each comprising a panel having a bordering frame on the inner surface thereof, each frame comprising a pair of vertical posts and top and bottom rails, posts of the back wall having surfaces horizontally alined with surfaces of adjacent posts of the side walls when the wardrobe is in assembled position, hinges spaced along adjacent posts of the back and side walls and secured to said alined surfaces of the posts for hingedly coupling said walls in forming said assembla e, the top and bottom rails of said walls having alined grooves on their inner surfaces, the top and bottom walls comprising panels, edge portions of which fit in the grooves of said top and bottom rails of the back and side walls, the top and bottom walls having rails fixed to the forward edge of the panels thereof, fastener devices passed through the front posts of the side walls and said rails of the top and bottom walls in securing all of the wall parts in assembled relationship, said front panel including, at its upper edge, a cross-rail seating in and secured to the front posts of the side walls and fixed thereto by fastener devices passed through said front posts, said cross-rail and the front rail of the top wall having, on adjacent surfaces, vertically alined grooves, and a pair of doors siidable in the grooves of said last mentioned rails in controlling admission to the interior of the wardrobe.

2. A wardrobe as defined in claim 1, wherein said front panel includes a frame on its inner surface and clips pivotally supported in connection with said frame and operatively engaging the front rail of the bottom wall in supporting the front panel in position at the front of the wardrobe.

3. A wardrobe as defined in claim 2, wherein the front posts of the side walls include inwardly extending flanges overlying adjacent portions of one door when in different positions.

4. A wardrobe as defined in claim 3, wherein said front posts of the side walls include grooves adjacent inner portions thereof for reception of side edge portions of the other of said doors.

5. A wardrobe as defined in claim 1, wherein a shelf supportin strip is fixed to the back wall a predetermined distance below the upper portion thereof, a pair of reccssed blocks fixed to inner surfaces of the side walls substantially in alinement with said strip, said strip and blocks forming a support for a shelf within the wardrobe, means on the shelf engaging the supporting strip to retain the shelf against forward movement, and said blocks supporting a hanger rod below said shelf.

6. A wardrobe as defined in claim 1, wherein end portions of the rails of the top and bottom walls seat in cutouts in the front posts of said side walls, and outer surfaces of said rails being flush with outer surfaces of said posts.

7. A wardrobe as defined in claim 1, wherein side edge portions of said front panel overlie outer surfaces of the front posts of said side walls, and manually operated means on the inner portion of said front panel operatively engaging the rail of the bottom wall to asulna-n.

sist in retaining the front panel in assembled relationship with the wardrobe.

8. In wardrobes of .the character described, compris- 1ng top, bottom, back and side walls, a front panel and a pair of doors, the back and side walls each comprising rectangular frames defined by vertical posts and top and bottom rails, all of said rails being grooved on inner surfaces for reception of top and bottom walls in assemblage of theQwardrobe, adjacent posts of the back and side walls'having vertically spaced hinges on horizontally alined surfaces of said posts for maintaining the back and side walls in an assemblage, said top and bottom walls and said front panel having rails seated in recessed portions of the front posts of said side walls, and pairs ofscrews passed through said last named posts and into said rails in assemblage of all of the wall parts I 10. A wardrobe as defined in claim 8, wherein the front panel includes, on its inner surface, a manually adjustable means operatively engaging the front rail of the bottom wall to assist in support of the front panel, and side edge portions of the front panel overlying the front posts of the side walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 168,879 Colbert Oct. 19, 1875 242,355 Nicholas May 31, 1881 835,902 Damato Nov. 13, 1906 1,260,854 Bardwell Mar. 26, 1918 1,481,560 Ringer Jan. 22, 1924 2,442,154 Vunovich May 25, 1948 2,583,931 Cummings Jan. 29, 1952 2,649,350 Backus et a1 Aug. 18, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,291 Great Britain Dec. 2, 1893 

